Ryan Caldwell cared a lot about his image. Among his circle of wealthy friends, he had always been the one who liked to show off the most.
Today, he married the most beautiful woman in Riverforge. The only thing people criticized was that Emily was a second-time bride.
So Ryan had already told his friends that he would publicly humiliate Jeff at the wedding today.
But who would have thought that Ryan would fail to humiliate Jeff, and instead be humiliated by Jeff?
He humbly poured bourbon for Jeff?
Ryan couldn't do it!
"Could he be bluffing me?"
Ryan suddenly had this idea because, in his view, Jeff could not be a chairman or a rich second-generation heir.
Which wealthy family would be willing to let their son marry into another family?
"Chairman Sterling has always kept a low profile and never shown up, so Jeff colluded with Victoria Lang to have her impersonate Chairman Sterling and show off at my wedding!"
"That old woman Victoria Lang has had her eye on Jeff for a long time. The two of them are probably already hooking up. It's not surprising that Victoria Lang is helping him!"
"As for the information from Tianzhiyan, it can also be submitted by Victoria Lang. Hackers are also a possibility."
"Mr. Ma looks a bit different from how he appears on TV, and his height doesn't match either. He might be a fake!"
"As for Ma Kun and Vincent Moretti, they've lost their business and are penniless. Given Jeff's fighting prowess, it's entirely possible that he could coerce or entice them to put on a show here!"
After thoroughly analyzing all of Jeff's current "chairman certification information," Ryan got carried away and a smile spread across his face:
"Hahaha, Jeff, are you trying to trick us? You're not the chairman at all—you're just a bodyguard! You're putting on this show with Victoria Lang, are you trying to make Emily regret it?"
Ryan's words shocked everyone present.
Laura Caldwell was furious: "Ryan! What nonsense are you talking about! Didn't you see how Mr. Ma treated Chairman Sterling just now?!"
"I'm not making this up!" Ryan began to explain. "Don't you think Mr. Ma's height and appearance are somewhat different from what you see on TV news?"
Since no one had ever seen Mr. Ma in person, it was only after Ryan mentioned it that they began to have doubts.
"You know what, I didn't really pay attention to what Mr. Ma looked like just now. I just thought it was him because it looked similar."
"I looked closely! His chin seems a bit off; Mr. Ma's chin isn't that pointed."
"The height is wrong too. Mr. Ma doesn't seem that tall, does he? Isn't he only about 5'5"? That guy from before must have been 5'9"!"
"That's right. How could someone as busy as Mr. Ma attend a wedding for just one person? He only showed up briefly and left in a hurry, without anyone we know by his side."
The crowd discussed it animatedly, and they all agreed with Ryan's statement.
Victoria Lang couldn't stand it anymore: "Ryan Caldwell, are you stupid? How could the information from Tianzhiyan be false?"
Ryan laughed and said, "Ms. Lang is always going to go all out when she's putting on an act. It's just an app—what's so difficult about modifying information for a few minutes?"
At this moment, Ma Kun and Vincent Moretti, who were still kneeling beside Jeff, spoke up for Jeff.
Ma Kun said, "Ryan, you idiot! You still dare to question Chairman Sterling! I didn't believe Jeff was Chairman Sterling back then, and that's why I'm in this situation! If you continue to be so stubborn, you won't even know how you died!"
Vincent Moretti: "Ryan, you don't seem like a fool. You probably know that the reasons you're giving are far-fetched, right? You slept with Chairman Sterling's wife, so you're doomed anyway, which is why you dare to continue slandering Chairman Sterling, isn't it?!"
Vincent Moretti's words startled Ryan, who broke out in a cold sweat. It was all because the two of them had been in contact too much—that bastard Vincent Moretti was able to see through Ryan's thoughts!
"Security! Drag these two dogs kneeling on the ground out of here! You two pieces of trash, don't think I don't know how much money Jeff paid you!"
Ryan shouted, and two burly men quickly arrived and carried Ma Kun and Vincent Moretti out.
At this moment, Emily was so anxious that she almost cried. She also felt that Jeff was not like a chairman because he had been too good to her for the past three years.
If Jeff is a chairman with a prestigious family background, why would he treat her like a lapdog?
Emily said, "Jeff, are you faking it or not? I beg you, stop joking around. This is a special occasion, not a place for jokes!"
Emily was eager for Jeff to give her the answer.
But Jeff didn't argue his point; instead, he simply said:
"You can never wake someone who's pretending to be asleep. If I weren't the chairman, it would make things easier for you two. Fine, I was faking it."
Jeff had already said twice that he is the chairman, so if you still don't believe him, then just say you're not.
Why bother explaining to an idiot?
As soon as Jeff "admitted" that he was faking it, his former mother-in-law, Susan, breathed a sigh of relief and walked over:
"You little rascal, you scared the hell out of me! I thought you'd really made something of yourself, but it turns out you were just faking it! You..."
Before Susan could finish speaking, Robert forcefully pulled her to a distance and whispered a reprimand:
"You want to get yourself into trouble?! Are you out of your mind?!"
Susan whispered, "Isn't he faking it?"
Robert shook his head, furious: "You stupid woman! It's fine if you cause trouble yourself, but don't drag our Harper family down with you! If you dare to mess with Jeff again, I'll divorce you immediately, and you can go back to your little apartment!"
Susan's face flushed red instantly.
Robert had already realized that Jeff was definitely a genuine chairman.
It wasn't for any other reason than Brandon's attitude toward Jeff!
Ryan Caldwell Sr. is now in a dilemma; he has no way to verify Jeff's authenticity.
Ryan Caldwell Sr. said, "Well, everyone, please sit down and have some champagne. The wedding is about to begin."
Laura Caldwell also said, "Chairman Sterling and my son are friends. They were just joking around. Everyone, please sit down."
After listening to the host's words, everyone returned to their seats.
But their gaze remained fixed on Jeff.
Jeff and Victoria Lang sat at a table alone. Victoria Lang took a sip of champagne and said, "These idiots actually doubt your identity."
Jeff also took a sip of champagne and said, "Apart from Emily and Susan, I think the Caldwell family and the Harper family should already believe that I am the chairman."
"But what about the others..."
Just then, another very important guest entered the hall.
Upon seeing this, Ryan Caldwell Sr. immediately went over with delight:
"Isn't this the famous CEO Grant of GrantMart?"
The e-commerce industry is booming right now. Last year on Black Friday, Amazon achieved a single-day transaction volume of over $10 billion.
While GrantMart may not be as successful as Amazon, it still holds a place in the current domestic e-commerce industry.
Grant Harrison, President Grant, is a big shot with a net worth of tens of billions!
Grant Harrison, holding a gift box, walked over, shook Ryan Caldwell Sr.'s hand, and said, "I only met Mr. Caldwell once in New York, and Mr. Caldwell can remember me. Mr. Caldwell really has a photographic memory."
"Not at all, not at all. Mr. Grant, it's such an honor for me to attend my son's wedding today and even bring a gift!" Ryan Caldwell Sr. laughed heartily.
Grant Harrison said, "I'm sorry, this gift isn't for your son."
He then turned directly toward Jeff's table, opened the box, and revealed a rare, limited-edition Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon GMT in platinum and titanium—valued at over $4 million at auction.
Grant Harrison handed the watch to Jeff with both hands and said, "Chairman Sterling, happy birthday. I had it engraved on the caseback with your initials and today's date. I hope it brings you good fortune."
The entire hall fell silent for a second, then erupted in gasps and whispers.
A $4 million watch—as a birthday gift!
Ryan Caldwell Sr.'s face turned pale. He had just boasted about his connections, and now one of the biggest names in e-commerce was personally gifting Jeff a watch worth more than most people's entire net worth.
Emily stared at the scene, her breathing shallow.
Jessica's mouth was slightly open, eyes wide.
Even Ryan Caldwell Jr. couldn't hide the shock on his face.
Grant Harrison smiled politely at Jeff and said, "I won't take up more of your time, Chairman. Enjoy the rest of your birthday. We should catch up soon—perhaps over lunch in New York next month?"
Jeff nodded calmly. "I'd like that. Thank you again, Grant."
As Grant Harrison walked away, the room buzzed louder than ever.
"That's… that's a Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon. Limited to like 20 pieces worldwide…"
"Engraved just for him…"
"Who the hell is Jeff Sterling…?"
Ryan Caldwell Sr. stood frozen, realizing too late that the real protagonist of today's event wasn't his son's wedding—it was Jeff's birthday.
And the entire high society of Riverforge had just witnessed it.